Absorbent articles, such as disposable diapers, training pants, and adult incontinence undergarments, absorb and contain body exudates. They also are intended to prevent body exudates from soiling, wetting, or otherwise contaminating clothing or other articles, such as bedding, that come in contact with the wearer. A disposable absorbent article, such as a disposable diaper, may be worn for several hours in a dry state or in a urine loaded state. Accordingly, efforts have been made toward improving the fit and comfort of the absorbent article to the wearer, both when the article is dry and when the article is fully or partially loaded with liquid exudate, while maintaining or enhancing the absorbing and containing functions of the article.
Contemporary absorbent articles often may include a topsheet, a backsheet, an absorbent core, a barrier cuff, and a gasketing cuff. The gasketing cuff is intended to prevent wicking and overflow from the fluid laden article to clothing contacting the edges of the article, in that the gasketing cuff presents a fluid impermeable barrier between the edge of the article and the contacting clothing. In addition, it provides a gasketing action about the legs of the wearer. The barrier cuff is intended to inhibit loose fecal matter or gushes of urine or liquids from soiling the wearer's clothing. The barrier cuff desirably restrains the free flow of this material and provides a structure to hold such material within the article.
In addition, contemporary absorbent articles may also include a waistband, which is sometimes known as a waistcap. The waistband or waistcap is intended to generate adequate stress to maintain fit of the article around the circumference of a wearer's body, such as a wearer's waist. Various waistbands or waistcaps can include tapes, fasteners, elastic, or other devices and materials to maintain the fit of the article or otherwise provide adjustment of the fit.
One common mode of failure for such absorbent article products occurs when body exudates leak out of product through gaps between the article and the wearer's torso or legs when the liquid exudate is not immediately absorbed within the article. Such leakage problems may be more likely to occur when the wearer is prone on his back. The failure mode may become more prevalent when an absorbent article is made better fitting and with a less bulky absorbent core, where the absorbent core cannot absorb the liquid exudate as rapidly as released by the wearer into the article. Accordingly, it would be desirable to increase the liquid volume holding capacity of the absorbent article to retain the free liquid exudate before and during absorption by the absorbent core. In addition, it would be desirable to maintain or enhance the liquid volume holding capacity of a thin, flexible absorbent article with minimum bulk and/or a narrow crotch for improved comfort.